As the New York Knicks stare down the inevitability of lucrative extensions for their top players, the absence of up-and-comers with established roles is becoming difficult to overlook. New York's turned to its developmental program for big minutes during the preseason, and thus far, a scarce few have offered a positive return on the investment.
Chief among the concerns with the trajectory of said players is the fact that they don't look particularly comfortable playing with the ball in their hands as either play finishers or creators.
New York has a surplus of veteran shot creators and playmakers, which certainly buys it a degree of time. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are All-NBA players who are known for their offensive brilliance, OG Anunoby took a noteworthy leap as a scorer during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, and both Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart can create offense for themselves and others.
Furthermore, reserves such as Jordan Clarkson, Miles McBride, and Landry Shamet are proven commodities on offense who limit the immediate need for younger players to step up themselves.
In saying that, Clarkson and McBride will be free agents next summer, and Hart's team option would only extend his stay through 2027-28. Furthermore, Towns is currently eligible for an extension, and Anunoby and Brunson will have eligibility next year.
With the core potentially becoming more expensive and the starring cast all featuring players in or nearing their 30s, that puts significant pressure on the up-and-comers to excel. That starts with getting more comfortable as offensive players.
Knicks need to get up-and-comers up to speed on offense
New York currently has six players who are 25 or younger: Pacome Dadiet, Mohamed Diawara, Tyler Kolek, Kevin McCullar Jr., Tyler Nickel, and James Wiseman. Wiseman is on a training camp deal, McCullar and Nickel are on two-way contracts, and Dadiet, Diawara, and Kolek are signed for at least one more season.
There have been flashes of intrigue from that group, but outside of the occasional spike, none have looked particularly comfortable in an on-ball role—particularly along the wings.
Diawara is compelling when assertive, but he has passive tendencies that make his surges difficult to sustain. Kolek is a skilled passer and overall playmaker, but he continues to struggle to find his niche as a scorer or off-ball player.
McCullar, meanwhile, has yet to gain traction in the NBA, while Nickel was a sharpshooter in college who hasn't yet found his footing as a pro.
Dadiet may best epitomize the issue at hand, as Knicks head coach Mike Brown publicly asked him to shoot more. To his credit, Dadiet obliged with nine field goal attempts in 17 minutes, but he shot just 3-of-9 from the field and 1-of-7 from three. Nickel was right there with him at 3-of-11, while Kolek was 3-of-8.
To fix this issue, the Knicks must commit their G League and even NBA resources to preparing their up-and-comers for the elevated role they'll likely need to take on as bigger contracts and the second apron push New York to rely on low-cost players in pivotal roles.
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